Date: Fri 03-Sep-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CAROLL

Quick Words:

Drama-Queen-Progressive-Green

Full Text:

A Look Back At Summer From A Second-Year Drama Queen

(with cuts)

By Brooke Smith

"Hey, Lauren!" I waved to my best friend as she jumped out of her car and ran

towards me. I was a second-year Drama Queen, surrounded by first-year Drama

Queens, and I was pretty nervous. It was nice to see a familiar face. As we

started to head down to Drama Queen Headquarters I realized that I was going

to have a great time.

The Drama Queens Summer Club is a cool theater program that takes place during

the summer. This year we had two assistant counselors including Erin, who was

too old to be a regular Drama Queen this year, but came back with a friend to

help Mrs Green.

Drama Queens are anywhere from 7« to 12« years old. We come from all over

Fairfield County: New Milford, Danbury, Bethel, Southbury, Trumbull, Sandy

Hook and Newtown. There were 21 of us in all. Gradually we got to know each

other and by the end of the week were almost sisters -- laughing and fighting!

On the fourth day, all of the Drama Queens were together for the first time.

We made friendship bracelets and traded them.

There were some moments that weren't very glorious, including YD. That stands

for Yard Duty. My mom says it's not as bad as when she went away to camp and

had KP. That stands for Kitchen Patrol.

We made tie dye T-shirts, had a BBQ Day, a water balloon fight, and watched

the movie Bye, Bye Birdie. We even worked in small groups to prepare snacks

for everyone.

My group got to make Rice Krispies Treats. Rebecca, Jen and I snuck a few

licks of marshmallow when Mrs Green (our teacher, and my mom) wasn't looking.

In the middle of all this fun was hard work. Our show this summer was called

Girl Power -- Then and Now. It was about girl power in the Thirties up to the

Nineties. We had about three or four numbers for every time period (the

Thirties-Forties, Fifties-Sixties, etc). It was a neat theme that everyone

could work well in.

On Thursday, July 22, we performed for the residents of Ashlar. I did a lip

sync to the song "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, and a dance to "The Hustle."

There were so many good acts by the girls that I wouldn't even begin to choose

a favorite.

We had three shows altogether, with two of them at the library that were open

to the public. We had a Spice Girls lip sync, dances to the songs "On the Good

Ship Lollipop" and "I've Got Rhythm," plus a duet to the song "Reflection"

from the movie Mulan, and many others.

By Friday, July 23, I finally started to realize that this was our last day

together. At the end of our last performance I hugged everyone Good-Bye,

signed programs or shoe boxes (which held our individual props), and cried

silently. I would probably never see them all together again. We were such a

good group and so close.

As I waved Good-Bye to the last Drama Queen I knew that this was a summer I'd

never forget!

Brooke Smith, 12, is a seventh grade home-school student. She is the daughter

of Mitchell and Kathleen Green of Newtown. Mrs Green is the director of

Newtown Progressive School, which recently completed its second summer

offering of the Drama Queens program.